Spark-timer.



EN TDF:

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PATBNTBD PEB. 4, 1908.

D. ALMY.

SPARK TIMER.

APPLICATION Hmm nu 1s, 190e.

Mw ww, y W M QR m gap( -l Ff WITNESEs ,f UNITED STATES DARWIN ALMY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

SPARK-TIMER.

Application lcd May 16.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DARWIN ALMY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Provi-- dence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spark-Timers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improvement in hydro-carbon engines and more particularly to an improvement in spark timers for hy dro-carbon engines.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction of a spark timer for hydro.- carbon engines, whereby the use of thev engine frame or its equivalent to form a part of the electric circuit is eliminated and a system of direct wiring -isl used from the l source of electrical energy to the timer.

A further object of my invention is to construct a spark timer so that the contact points when 'brought into contiguity are iven a sliding contacten each other, there- Jy giving a more perfect connection and preventing the accumulation of carbon orl other deposits on the contact points.

My invention consists in the peculiar and novel construction of a spark timer lfor hydro-carbon engines, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter and claimed.

Figure 1 is a face view of my improved spark timer adapted to a four cylinder four vcycle hydro-carbon engine, showing three sets of contact springs or switches in their normal or open position and the fourth inthe position it would assume when closed lby the actionof the cam, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 2 centrally through the Vtimer, showing the construction of tlie cam and the means for rotatably supporting the timer on the cam shaft bearing." f

vIn the drawings, a indicates a cam shaft, b a cam, c the cam shaft bearing, d a screw' threaded trunnion on the cam shaft bearing, e the frame of the timer in the form of. a disk,

' '45 f an internally screw-threaded hub' on the back of thef-rame, and g g a series of switches on the frame surrounding the cam and operated by the cam, as shown in Fi 1.

The cam shaft e is operativy connected to the engine to revolve the shaft in the usual way. The cam b is in the form of a collar and has the roll 3 rotatably secured in a recess in the collar by the screw pin 4 in a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4, 1908. 1906. Serial No. 317.247.

end ofthe-cam shaft a by a set bolt 5. The metal frame of the timer e has the flat face 6 from which extends a series of'lugs 7 7 formed integral with the metal frame, and the hub f on the back adapted to be rotatably secured to the trunnion d. by screwing the hub onto the trunnion, as shown in Fig. 2. The lugs 7 7 are placed at equal distances apart adjacent the periphery of the frame and are each shaped to receive an insulating block which is secured to the lug by screws or other means. A wire binding post l9 is secured to the frame c, as shown in Fig. 2, by which a wire a; is electrically connected with all of the lugs 7 7 through the frame e.

Each of the switches g g consists of a fiat spring I0 having a contact point 11 adjacent its free end and secured at its fixed end to a lug 7 by a screw or other means in a position for the roll 3 on the cam b to engage with the s ring and force the spring outward, and a atspri 12 secured at one end tothe insulatlng b ook 8 by the screw 13 and the nuts 14 forming a binding post for a wire y and a screw post 15 on the free end of the spring having a contact point 16. This screw post 15 is adjustably secured to the free end of the spring by forcing a split block 17 over the spring a position for a screw-threaded hole in the block' to Vcoincide with a hole in the spring, screwing the screw post through the hole in the block and spring and locking the screw post in' a position for the contact point 11 on the spring 10 to engage with the contactpoint 16 of the screwpost 15 bya lock nut 18, as shown in Fig. 1. A stop 19 covered with an insulating material 2O is secured to the face ofthe frame in a position for the end of the spring 12 to engage with the stop and hold theI contact points in their open or '--norrnal position'. By this construction all of thev springs'l'@ 10 are electrically connected with Va wire, through the lugs 7 7 and frame e and all of the springs 12 12 are electrically connected through the binding posts 9 9 with the wires y y which may be united to a single wire and connected to the battery in the usual way. The hub f has an upwardl -extending lug in which' is a transverse ho e for securing a rod from the spark controllin lever to the lug.v Thehub and lug are sp it lengthwise to the center of the hub and the haves of the lug may be drawn position for the roll to extend beyond the periphery of the collar a predetermined d1stoward eachot er by tightening nuts on the g connecting rod (not shown) at each side of tance and is adjustably secured to the outer ?ithe lug, or any other means may be used to compensate for wear between the trunnion d and the hub f and for holding the hub in frictional contact with the trunnion.

In the operation of my improved timer the cam shaft a and cam b are revolved usually by connecting the cam shaft through gears to the engine shaft. The roll 3 on the cam b engages in succession with the iiat springs 10 10, and forcing the free ends of the springs 10 10 outward against the tension of the springs brings the contact point 11 on a spring 10 into contiguity with the contact point 16 on the fiat spring 12 and forces the spring 12 against its spring tension outward. As the opposite ends of the flat springs 10 and 12 are ixed and this outward movement of the free ends continues the contact points 11 and 16 slide on each other until the limit of the outward movement ofthe springs is reached, when they assume the position as shown in the upper switch in Fig. 1. As the springs 10 and 12 assume the normal position by the forward movement of the roll on the cam, the contact points 11 and 16 have a sliding movement on each other in a reverse direction until the free end of the spring 12 comes into engagement with the stop 19 when the contact points are separated and the springs assume their normal open positions. By this double sliding or wi ing movement of the contact points on eac other the deposit of carbon, oil, or other foreign matter on the points is prevented and a perfect contact of the points obtained. The sparking ofthe timer is advanced or retarded by slightly rotating the frame e on the trunnion d through connections from the hub f to a spark lever, not shown.

It is evident that the timer could be constructed to have any number of the switches g g required, that it could be rotatably supported in any well known way and that the cam shaft a could be revolved by any well known mechanism, withoutmaterially aHect-- ing the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

- 1. In a spark timer, the combination with a shaft a, of a cam b in the form of a collarf' having the roll 3 rotatably secured in arecess in the collar by a screw pin 4 in a posltion for the roll to extend beyond the periphery of the collar and adjustably secured to the shaft by a set bolt 5,- a screw-threaded trunnion d supporting the shaft, a metal frame e. having the internally screw-thread hub f, the flat face 6, a plurality of lugs 7 7 formed integral with the frame on the face 6, an insulating block 8 secured to each lug and interfitting therewith, a binding post 9 secured to the frame e, a plurality of switches g g each switch consisting of a flat spring 10 having a contact point 1l adjacent its free end and rigidly secured at its opposite end to a lug 7 in a position for the roll 3 on the cam to engage the spring, a flat spring 12 rigidly secured at one end to the adjoining insulating block 8 by a screw 13 and thenuts 14;, and a screw post 15 having the contact point 16 ad- 'ustably secured to the free end of the spring T a split block 17 and a nut 18 in a position for the contact point 11 to engage with the contact point 16, and a plurality of stops 19 19 consisting of a screw covered with an insulating material 20 and secured to the fram` e on the face 6 in a position for the free end of the spring 12 to engage with the stop and hold the contact points in their open'position, whereby a direct electrical connection is made with the springs 10 and 12 and a reciprocating sliding contact is given to the contact points 11 and 16 on the springs, as described.

2. A spark timer embodying a disk, lugs secured to one of the faces of said disk, blocks of insulating material of less width than said lugs secured/to the inner faces of the latter, a at spring having a 'contact point secured to each of said lu s, a second flat spring secured to each of said locks, a split block having an opening receiving said second flat spring, said second spring and split block having registering screw threaded openings therethrough, and a screw post having a contact point on its inner end adjustably secured in said registering openings.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DARWIN ALMX.7

Witnesses:

ADA E. HAGERTY, J. A. MILLER. 

